Wet MTN Valley Community Foundation

The Wet mountain Valley Community spirit campaign is a program of matching gifts awarded by the Community Foundation based on individual donations to tax-exempt organizations in custer county. Community service grants are awarded and gifts are given to non-profit agencies that support the Community in various ways and provide scholarships for higher education. Primarily through this campaign, wmvcf has distributed over $5 million to just over 100 non-profit organizations in custer county since the founding of the Community spirit campaign in 1999. Grants and gifts have been to the arts, education, recreation, historic preservation, emergency services, health care, land conservation and related fields of service.

The wmvcf oversees the rebecca samuelson fund for the arts. This program provides funding for youth programs and opportunites in the arts based on a grant application and review process. The goal of this fund is to provide an endowment for the arts in custer county.

The high mountain hay fever childrens health fund is managed through a contractual agreement with the wmvcf. Funds are available to local governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations through a yearly grant process. A committee of health aware Community members is appointed to administer a grant cycle process for childrens programs that address physical, emotional, social, and educational health needs for children, ages birth to 18 years. Continued support for the childrens health fund is buoyed by yearly grants from the high mountain hay fever bluegrass festival association and other private donations.

The wmvcf oversees many other designated funds including the bluff park project, the custer county kids council, and the ula cemetary perpetual fund.

The wmvcf sponsors the excellence in education committee. The excellence in education fund is a designated fund within the wmvcf and was founded to help address pressing educational needs for our Community youth that fall outside the resources provided by the public school system. The result is a three-way partnership between the committee, the wmvcf, and the c-1 school district of custer county. The committees accomplishments include: new mathematics curriculum in grades 1-9; support for digital curriculum; teacher training; support for the arts programs; supplies including textbooks, calculators, chromebooks, and projectors; volunteer coordination; and the adopt-a-class program.

The wmvcf administers the Valley strong fund. The designated purpose of the Valley strong fund is to foster and strengthen Community building by supporting education, communication, programs and events which celebrate and advance Community relationships. The annual Valley strong dinner, the car show and the christmas parade are all examples of events sponsored by the fund. The fund may also provide services or support programs that include but are not limited to: providing education in the form of public meetings, events, reading groups, articles, social media and workshops, with a focus on Community building and growth; and encouraging local, community-based youth leadership training via grants or education.

The wmvcf maintains a space for other non-profits to use.